Dyck is a veteran anti-poverty activist and advocate in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He campaigned for the Communist Party of Canada, the provincial Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba, and the municipal Labour Election Committee. He has played a prominent role in Winnipeg-based anti-poverty organizations such as the Manitoba Committee for Economic Justice (Broadcast News, 9 August 2000), the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (Broadcast News, 10 January 2001), the Low Income Intermediary Project and the National Anti-Poverty Organization. In 1997, he was listed as a provincial committee member of the Communist Party of Canada (Winnipeg Free Press, 27 May).

Dyck was a youth activist during the 1970s, and identified wage issues as his primary concern in the 1977 provincial election (Canadian Tribune, 26 September 1977). He later became a worker with Boeing Winnipeg, and organized a unionization drive in 1980.[5] He subsequently lost his job, and a newspaper article published in 2001 identified him as a welfare recipient(Winnipeg Free Press, 11 January 2001).

Dyck participated in a protest against basic local rate increases by Manitoba Telecom Services in 2000-01, arguing that the changes would prevent some persons on social assistance from owning their own telephones. Later in 2001, he called for protection for low-income earners against "sudden fluctuations in essential commodities like natural gas" (WFP, 19 September 2001). He has also argued that bank user fees are disproportionately punitive against the poor (WFP, 12 January 2005), and has criticized Payday loan services for "victimiz[ing] people in the most desperate of circumstances" (WFP, 30 May 2005). In 2005, he argued against proposed restrictions on panhandling.[6]

Hogaboam was born on January 7, 1965 in La Mesa, California, United States.[7] He has a broadcasting and journalism degree from Lethbridge Community College.[8] He and a fellow student created the Lethbridge Kodiaks hockey team in 1992, and attempted to launch an open challenge for the Stanley Cup when National Hockey League play was stopped due to a labour dispute. A trustee for the Stanley Cup rejected their request, indicating that the trophy has had an exclusive arrangement with the NHL since 1947.[9]

Hogaboam formed the Leland-Ashdown Rescue Committee in the 1990s, and worked to save historical buildings within Winnipeg.[10] He wrote an article for People's Voice in 2000, accusing rocker Ted Nugent of hate speech after Nugent reportedly told a Winnipeg audience, "if you don't know how to speak f...ing English, you don't believe in Canada."[11]

Hogaboam has campaigned for the federal Communist Party and the provincial Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba. He worked for a courier company during the 1999 election,[12] and was quoted as saying, "The biggest misconception is that we're some kind of dictatorial party out to control people. We just support working people, a system where everyone participates."[13]